Jesuit magazine (4-11).indd - The New Orleans Province of the ...

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Formation
his sister. Upon returning he began to
receive spiritual direction as he explored
a vocation to the priesthood, and he
entered the Jesuit novitiate in St. Paul,
Minnesota, in August of 2000.
For his first novitiate experiment he
was sent to work at the Jesuit infirmary
in Los Gatos, California, and in the
second year of his novitiate he served at
Rockhurst University in Kansas City as
a counselor and campus minister.
Paul completed philosophy studies
in St. Louis, and for the regency period
of his formation he was assigned to
Regis University in Denver where he
worked as a counselor on the campus,
taught part time and coordinated the
university Christian Life Community
program.
He is currently completing his
theology studies at the Jesuit School
of Theology at Santa Clara University
where he is also a pastoral minister
at San Francisco General Hospital.
Ordained to the diaconate last fall, he
preaches at St. Leo’s Church in Oakland,
California.
After serving this coming summer
at St. Francis Xavier Church in Kansas
City, he will return to Berkeley to finish
his licentiate in sacred theology and to
continue his study of the relationship
between psychology and religion.
Paul will celebrate Masses of
Thanksgiving at the DeSmet Jesuit High
School Chapel on Sunday, June 12 at
10:00 a.m. and at Vietnamese Martyrs
Catholic Church in Houston the following
Saturday, June 18 at 6:00 p.m.
To learn more about the formation
of Jesuits or to support their journey,
visit www.norprov.org.
The Southern Jesuit Spring 2011
a Jesuit in new
Orleans by Way of
Kansas City
Though a native of Kansas City, Missouri,
and a member of the Missouri Province, few
Jesuits have given quite so much to the collegiate
academic community of New Orleans
as Rev. Lawrence Moore, S.J. Ordained to the
priesthood after earning his Master of Divinity in 1977, Fr. Moore has earned an
undergraduate degree in philosophy and classics, a Juris Doctor from the University
of Missouri at Kansas City, and three master degrees including urban affairs,
divinity and law.
Once reaching the other side of the desk, he has taught everything from high
school social studies to university-level statistics and has been a professor of law
at Loyola since 1982. He describes his early days as a rookie professor, teaching
both morning and evening classes “like being on a treadmill.” Moore has the right
stamina, as 29 years later he is still teaching, though he now does so as the Brooks
Distinguished Professor of Law. He estimates that he has taught over 5,000 students
and feels that he demonstrates to his students that he is thorough, clear and
maintains a high academic standard.
In addition to teaching, Moore has served as the associate dean for academic
affairs since 2001. In this role he reaches out to his law students on both a personal
and academic level. “Cura Personalis is my day to day job as associate dean,” he
says. Though it can feel like a juggling act at times, it is a challenge that he enjoys.
Outside of his academic work, Fr. Moore has also served on the Loyola University
of New Orleans Board of Trustees since 1985 and on several of its committees
including executive, endowment, audit, finance and, of course, legal. He
currently serves on the Trusteeship Committee, as well as acting as secretary and
treasurer.
In his capacity as a man for others, Moore has over seven years of experience
as the rector of the Jesuit community at Loyola and, as the only Jesuit in the
School of Law, he has the opportunity to lead prayers at gatherings and events. Off
campus, Fr. Moore is involved in sacramental ministry, officiating at a half dozen
weddings a year, as well as leading the weekly Mass at the John J. Hainkel, Jr.
Home & Rehabilitation Center.
After almost three decades as a Jesuit in New Orleans he feels that he is
still an effective teacher, and reveals “The students seem to like me more now.”
Fortunately, Moore will indeed be given the opportunity to keep teaching as he
takes on the night sections of Civil Procedure next year. It is unclear whether he
will remain associate dean, as the school has appointed a new dean, but Moore is
optimistic. Looking back, he says “I have done exactly what I wanted to do, and I
feel very satisfied.” He also notes, “I have no idea where the 29 years have gone!”